Ouch!

Vaccines protect children from dangerous germs. Still, that’s little comfort when it’s time to get the jab. The good news is that there are ways to ease the painor fear of pain, which is the bigger problem.

“In reality, shots don’t ‘hurt’ that much,” says Herschel Lessin, MD, pediatrician at the Children’s Medical Group in Poughkeepsie, NY. “It’s the suffering brought on by the phobia of needles that bring on the pain.”

Here are some surprisingly simple strategies that can make your doctor’s visit smooth sailing.

Ouch!

Vaccines protect children from dangerous germs. Still, that’s little comfort when it’s time to get the jab. The good news is that there are ways to ease the painor fear of pain, which is the bigger problem.

“In reality, shots don’t ‘hurt’ that much,” says Herschel Lessin, MD, pediatrician at the Children’s Medical Group in Poughkeepsie, NY. “It’s the suffering brought on by the phobia of needles that bring on the pain.”

Here are some surprisingly simple strategies that can make your doctor’s visit smooth sailing.

Turn on cartoons

What could be more mesmerizing than playful cartoon characters cavorting across a screen?

A University of Georgia study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology showed that children were often less distressed when nurses turned on cartoons during immunizations. “Any distraction technique, whether it be cartoons, videogames, or another focal point, will make the experience smoother,” says Dr. Lessin.

If your doctor doesn’t have a TV in the examination room, ask if it’s okay to bring your own portable DVD player.

Use skin-numbing products

EMLA cream, a topical anesthetic, may reduce immunization pain in children. A 2003 study found that babies who received EMLA cream in addition to a sugary solution experienced less pain from their shots.

The cream blocks nerves from transmitting painful impulses to the brain. “(EMLA cream) works well, if you can find it over the counter,” says Dr. Lessin. “And you should purchase cream so that you can apply an hour before the vaccination.”

Fluori-Methane spray, which cools the skin, could also numb the area and reduce pain, according to a 2004 study.

Stay cool

Be straightforward about why your child needs to get a shotbut, more importantly, be determined. “Kids don’t care that it’s good for them, so prepping them will only turn the trip into a bigger deal,” says Dr. Lessin. “Parents need to realize it’s not the child’s choice.” There’s no reason to escalate the situation.

The best thing parents can do is listen to the doctor and take control of the situation. Parents and doctors can work as a team to keep children calm and get the job done.

Offer a pacifier

Whether you call it a binkie, paci, or chew chew, a pacifier can help comfort babies getting a shot (if they are used to sucking on one).

A University of Michigan study found that pacifiers can reduce infants’ pain before, during, and after vaccinations. And dipping the pacifier in a sugar solution may be even more effective. “Pacifiers or any devices used as counterstimulation, competition with the shot sensation, can be effective,” says Dr. Lessin.

After the procedure, breast-feeding may also help reduce the amount of time spent crying by a baby.

Consider the order of the shots

It sounds too good to be true, but something as simple as the order in which shots are given can make a difference.

In a 2009 study, babies were less likely to cry if they were given the combination vaccine for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DPTaP-Hib, or Pentacel) followed by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV, or Prevnar).

Children who received injections in this order proved to experience less pain compared to those who were given shots in the reverse order.